Stepladder extension



STEPLADDER EXTENSION Original Filed July 11, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 /3 6 I 1n wmar Edward $2272 55% Jan. 24, 1933. E.. STINDL STEPLADDER EXTENSION Original Filed July 11, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet r 0 t n 8 W 1 Edward SW72 a7,

Patented Jan. 24, 1933 EDWARD s'rmnn, or iannox'r, Wisconsin STEPLADDER EXTENSION- Application filed lfuly 11, 1928, Serial The present invention relates to improvements in step ladders and has reference more particularly to an extension for the side bars or uprights of the front and rear sections'of a conventional step ladder, whereby the height of the ladder may be increased, in order to reach parts that are ordinarily inaccessible when standing upon a conventional step ladder.

Another important object of the inventio is to provide a step ladder extension that can be readily and easilyattached or detached, means being provided for positively securing the extension on the lower ends of the side '1 bars or uprights of the front and rear sections of the ladder, so that there will be no danger of a person injuring himself while using the step ladder with the extension attached there A further object is to provide astep' ladder extensionwhich is simple in construction, inexpensive, strong and durable, and further well adapted to the purpose for which it is designed.

1 '25 Other objects of the invention will become apparent as the nature of the invention prodeeds and when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this application and in which drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a conventional step ladder, showing my improved extension attached thereto.

V Figure 2 is a fragmentary front elevation thereof. v

Figure 3 is a fragmentary rear elevation thereof. V 1

Figure f is a detailperspective view of the upper end portion of one of the side bars or uprights of the front unit of the extension, showing the clamping members secured thereon for receiving the lower end portion of the adjacent side bar of the front section of the step ladder. y Figure 5 is a detail showing the manner in which the lower end of 'oneof the side bars of the front section of the conventional step ladder fits in the socket provided therefor on the adjacent sidebar or upright of the front extensionunit, the lower end ofthe side bar orupright ofthe step ladder resting on the 1 tration is shown a step nb.,291,s14. renewed mm, 1e32,

uppermost step of "the front unit ofthe exe 1 tension. j* V v f Figure 6 a detail plan view ofthe U'- shaped clampingmember, showing the manner inwhich the same embraces the side bars of the step ladder and itsextension,and

Figure 7 is a detail of a modification'of the clamping means; 7 i

In the drawings, for the purpose of illuS-f ladder of the conventional construction, the same comprising the front and rear sections 2;and 3 respectively. 'Thefront section of the'step ladder includes the conventional sidebars orupright's 4 that are disposed at an inclineand extending be tween the spaced side barsof the front section are the vertically spaced steps 5. A plat- 7 form 6 is secured on the upper ends of the side bars or standards 4. j f

The rear section 3 includes the sidebars or'uprights 7 that are'connectedtogether by the usual bracing members 8 and the upper ends of the side bars 7 are pivotally secured to plates fixed to the front uprights. Hingedly connected braces 9 extend between the respective sidebars or uprights of the front and rear sections in the manner also vWell known inthe art. ff i ,Myimproved step ladder extension includes the front and rearu'nits"10; and 11 respectivelyg The front unit includes a pair of side bars or uprights 12, which are interconnected by means of the steps 13 andthe Q "lowerends of these 'sidebarsare cut away at an angle so that when the front unit 10 3 is positioned with respect to the side bars of a front section 10 of the step ladder 1,'the side bars of the front unitwill be in alignment with the respective side bars of the step ladder as clearly indicated in ,F igurel. Further more, the steps 13 are of such length as to causethe side bars or uprights 12to be dis- 'posed against the outer faces of the lower end portions of the side bars or standards 4 of the front section2 as clearly indicated in Figure2. l y r rectangular shaped socket member .14 is 7 attached to, each side bar 12' of the front extension unit 10,directly above theupper most step of the front extension "unit, and thi 7 3 socket member is formed by taking a strip of metal and bending the same in the manner as shown in Figure 4, so that the socket will be disposed on the inner side of the respective side bar 12.

These socket members are rigidly secured to the side bars of the front extension unit and the lower ends of the respective side bars 4 of the front section 2 of the step ladder are receivable in these socket members so that the lower ends of said side bars lvwill rest upon the uppermost step of the unit 10, as suggested very clearly in Figure 5. r

A substantially U-shaped clamp is carried by the uppermost end of each sidebar 12 of the front unit 10 and this U-shaped clamp 15 has one of its arms 16 fixedly secured to the outer face of'the sidebar 12 and. the crown portion 17 of thisU-shaped clamp extends across the forward edge of the sidebar. In

this manner, the other arm 18 of the U-shaped clamp is spaced from the inner face of the side bar 12 for accommodating the adjacent ortion of the respective side bar 4 of the front section 2 of the step ladder 1, as clearly shown in Figure 6. p a Each of the U-shaped clamps 15 isdisposed at right angles with respect. to the upper end of each side bar of-the extension ,unit 10 and the arms 16 and 18 are of such length as toprojectbeyond the rear edges of the abutting side bars 1 and 12, pro- .jecting outwardly and the outer end of the arm 16 is formed with an opening 19' while the outer end of the other arm 18 of each clamp 15 is formed with an inwardly extending slot 20; 1 A bolt 21 extends through the opening 19 and through the slot 20, the head'of the bolt engaging with the outer face of the apertured end of threaded on the threaded end of the bolt that projects beyond the outer side of the slotted outer end of the arm18 and manifestly by turningvthe thumb nut in one directiomthe IU-shaped-clamp 15 will be drawn tightly Qagainstthe adj acentportion of the respective sidebar of the front section of the step ladder, so that a rigid connection will be provided between the front extension unit10 and the front section of-the step ladder.

The rear extension unit 10 includes the spaced side bars or uprights 23 that are connected together by appropriate bracing means 24,-and these side bars areof substantially the same size asthe side bars 7 of the rear section 3 of the step ladder 1 and the ends of'the side bars 23 arecut at an angle as indicated in Figure 1. A socket member 25.si1nilar, to (3O the socketmember 14 is secured on each of r the uprights or side bars 23 at a point down- Wardly of the upper endthereof for receiving thelower end of the respective side bar? of the rear section 3 and ablock 26 may besecured on the inner side ofeach upright orside' tionsof the step ladders. derstood thatthe extension unit may be of end of the arms are-slightly bent the arm 16 while a thumb nut 22 is bar 23, for cooperation with the respective socket to provide a rest for the lower end of the respective side bar of the rear section b jacent portion of the respective upright or side bar of the rear section of the step ladder, and a bolt and nut connection is provided for the free ends ofthe arinsof each U-shaped clamp 27 'for'the same purpos'e'as the bolt and nut connection associated; with each of the U-shaped clamps 15 and thi'sbolt and nut connection that is associated with each .of the clamps 27 is shown generally at 28. '1 c When the parts are arranged as shown in Figures 1, 2, and 3, it will be readily apparent that the step ladder 1 may be used to reach places that would ordinarily be inaccessible without the extension units 10' and 11, and due to the simplicity of construction, the

extension units can be readily and easily attached .or disengaged from the respective uprights or side bars of the front and rear sec- It is also to be undifferent heights, so that the height of the step ladder be increased as is desired.

In Figure 7 of the drawings, there is shown I a modification of the clamping means a'ssoci-- ated with the upper end of each of the side bars of the extension unit. 1 T

This particularfclamp comprises a U- shaped member that has one arm 29 secured to the upper end of the side bar ofjeach ex tension unit,the other arm of this U-shaped clamp having its free end disposed laterally as at 30,while the free end of the arm 291$ receiving the hook 32,'th'at is formed on the outer end of a lever 33, which lever is. pivoted at its inner end on the laterally disposedportion 30, as at 34. A handle forming portion 35' is provided on the outer extremity of the lever 33,'to facilitate the disengagement of the hook 32 from its keepers 31 when f it is desired to disengage the adjacent side ment of my invention, it is to be understood that variouschanges in the size, shape and arrangement of. parts may be resorted to,

without departing from the spirit of theinvention or the scope of the appended claim. i What I claim is: i

In a ladder construction, a main ladder sec- "constructed to form a notched keeper 3 forrio tion, an extension section, a socket forming member carried b each side member of the extension section or receiving the lower end of each side member of the main ladder section, a U-shaped member having one of its limbs connected to the upper end of each side member of the extension section with its bi ht extending across and to a considerable istance beyond an end edge of said side member, whereby the other limb of the U-shaped member is spaced from the opposite side of the said side member for receiving a side member of the main section, the ends of the limbs projecting beyond the side members 7 and detachable means for connecting the ends of the limbs together.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

EDWARD STINDL. 

